A Fallen Feather
by attractionishere
Summary: Linda Downey is a sophomore in college who is experiencing some difficulties in her British Literature class. She asks her professor, Leander Hastings, for help. This is a Leander and Linda story, set in a college AU (Alternate Universe). Rating will more than likely go up.
1. A Feather Is Found

**This is a college AU of the story which revolves around the relationship between Linda Downy and Leander Hastings. Warning here, this involves a teacher student relationship, so if you don't like them, don't read (but it's college though, so there's no underage sex thing, and Hastings isn't all that old)**

* * *

Linda Downey let out a sigh of frustration as she looked over her report card. She was a sophomore in college, and her lowest grade at the moment was in British Literature, which was a C. Why had she even taken that class? _Because you're interested in Britain, _she reminded herself. Groaning, she fell back onto her bed. She was lucky enough to snag a one person dorm room, which kept her from the more unfortunate college experiences. She pulled the report card back to her field of vision and looked at the name of the professor for her class. L. Hastings was printed next to the grade. Mr. Hastings was a tall, cold man who constantly had a thin frown pressed on his face. Some of the girls in her class thought he was handsome, but Linda herself had never looked him over beyond his hair color and height. She had barely registered his voice really, as she simply listened for the information and not the sound.

Linda sat up and pulled her laptop from the other end of the bed to her lap. Going into her email, she decided to email Mr. Hastings. Hopefully he'd accept it, especially in person. Her friends claimed that her voice was liquid gold, so soothing to hear that it could make them commit murder if she asked. She thought it was ridiculous. However, in an argument, she tended to come out on top. Whether it be from her voice or the points she made, she didn't know.

**To: **Mr. Hastings  
**Subject:** Discuss Grades

Mr. Hastings,  
I would like to meet with you in order to discuss my grades. Any time will do, thank you.

Linda Downey

She hit the send button and laid back down. It could be a while before she got another response, as there were still a few more classes scheduled for the day. She glanced at the clock, which read 4:50 PM. She had a class at 5:15, and she wasn't even wearing her pants! Linda pushed out of bed, put on a pair of jeans, grabbed her backpack with her laptop inside, and left her dorm. She could fast-walk to her next class. As she was walking, she received a text from Thomas Swift, her older sister's boyfriend, about him and Becka visiting her college town soon and hoping to spend time with her. She typed a quick "okay" in response and hit send. Her building came into view, to which she jogged to.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Linda walked out of the class with her friend, Genevieve, at her side. She checked her phone as Gennie (as she liked to be called) went on and on about a girl in her french class.

"Lin? Are you even listening to me?" Gennie asked, visibly distraught, as she watched her friend pull her phone out.

"Yeah, Jess called you a slut in French. But you know more French than her, just go off," Linda said and scrolled through the junk mail she received within her last class. Her finger stopped when there was an email from Leander Hastings. _Leander? _she thought to herself. She hadn't ever known his first name before.

**To:** Linda Downey  
**Subject:** Re: Discuss Grade

Ms. Downey,  
There isn't much to be discussed, though if you insist you can stop by my classroom anytime before seven.

Leander Hastings

She checked the time on her phone. It was already 6:47, but luckily his class was in the building right next door. She jogged over to the building and opened the door, walking down the hall in search of his room. When she arrived, she peeked her head through the door to see if he was still there. The room looked strange being as empty as it was. She only ever saw it full of students and noise, but now it was empty and silent. She searched the room for Mr. Hastings, but didn't find him. Hesitantly, she stepped inside to get a better look around. There was a messenger bag sitting on top of his desk with papers stacked neatly next to it. The computer was still on, also. She walked further into the classroom and stood next to the desk, staring at the wallpaper for the computer. It was a picture of a simple house that looked to be in the countryside. She was so caught up in the photo that she hadn't noticed anyone enter the room.

"Ms. Downey, correct?" His voice made her jump and spin around. He didn't stop to greet her though, as he had continued moving around her and to his desk.

"Linda is fine. I wanted to talk about-"

"The grade you're getting in my class, yes. As you can see," he said as he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, "There isn't much to talk about." He pushed the power button on his computer, making the picture of the home disappear.

"That's the thing, I was hoping we could talk about how I can improve my grade for the next semester," she said and watched him move around her with skill. He had crossed the room to retrieve more papers before replying.

"Your essays aren't written as they should be, and your test grades are average. Learn to write, and study more," he muttered bluntly and made his way back to his desk. The last part poked at Linda's anger, though she was going to keep her composure.

"How do you want it then?" she asked. She didn't realize that the way she phrased it gave it another meaning until Mr. Hastings stopped moving and turned to look at her. That was the first time she had actually seen him in all his entirety. His deep, intense eyes stared directly into her gold-flaked ones. She gasped silently as they stared at each other, neither breaking their gaze. The little space between them felt like a chasm, and in the middle a wall was standing tall. A wall that was standing tall, but could be pushed down with a feather landing upon it. Her lips slighted partially, and she felt as though she were frozen in time.

It wasn't until a group of girls loudly walked by the classroom did Mr. Hastings tear his gaze away. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to his work. Linda blinked as her cheeks turned red and she turned away also. She shifted her backpack on her shoulder and wondered whether she should leave or not.

"If you want, I'll give you copies of essays I've kept and use as examples," he said after a minute of silence. She turned back around, but kept her eyes down.

"Thank you, Mr. Hastings," she said and turned to leave. She could hear his footsteps not too far behind hers as she walked to the exit of the building. Right before she reached the door, he jogged in front of her and opened it. He held it open for her to walk through, and closed it once she did so. "Thanks," she said nervously and gave him a small smile, "Bye then."

"Goodbye, Linda," he responded kindly. The way he said her name made her heart race and her cheeks heat up, so she quickly turned away and sped-walk to back to her dorm. When she glanced behind her shoulder, she saw him walking off in the other direction, taking long strides. She was too busy watching him that she hadn't noticed Gennie walk up until she bumped into.

"Salope! Lin, what are you doing?" Gennie shouted as her friend walked right into her. "Why is your face all red?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," she waved off the concern and used every bit of her control to not turn and look back again. "What did you just call me?"

"T'inquiète pas. Don't worry," she said. Gennie then turned around and hooked her arm into Linda's, "There's a party tonight, an end of the semester party!" she said excitedly. Linda frowned, as she had forgotten all about that. D, which was short for D'Orsay, throws a party every semester when he gets the chance. He invites nearly everyone on campus, too. Linda was always on the list, as she was just below popular. Her looks mixed with her personality seemed to make her unknowingly popular among her peers.

"I don't really want to got to that," Linda confessed and slid her arm out of Gennie's. Every time she went to a party, she was mercilessly hit on by the underclassmen that attended also. She wasn't particularly feeling it that night. She just wanted to go back to her dorm room and rest. Her body needed it, after what happened.

"You don't want to go? It's the end of the semester! We're only going to be in college once, Lin!" Gennie said enthusiastically. Linda suddenly thought of the perfect excuse.

"My sister is visiting with her boyfriend, and I don't plan to meet them with a hangover," she said and shook her head. Gennie looked dejected, but she couldn't fight that. She shrugged and said that she'd see Linda later, before leaving and more than likely heading for the party. The sun was already gone from the sky, but the stars hadn't come out yet.

* * *

Laid out on her dorm bed, (without her pants on, of course) Linda was browsing the internet out of boredom. Her dorm was mostly empty from the party and the semester ending, save the people such as her. She couldn't go home, as the home situation for her was complicated. She stayed at school all year, but would sometimes visit Becka for a few weeks during the summer. She'd sometimes catch a movie with a friend, or even a date in some cases. But her dates never lasted much further than a simple kiss. Though, there was one guy she had gone on three dates with before they stopped talking. It ended poorly, over an argument.

She sighed as she saw another unfunny picture and pushed her laptop away. Laying back on her bed, she let out a dissatisfied groan. She hadn't eaten dinner yet, and it was nearly nine. Frowning, she whipped out her cell phone and dialed in the number for a pizza place. She ordered a small, pepperoni pizza for herself. She was definitely going to have extras, though that meant she had dinner for the next few nights until Becka and Thomas arrived. She put a pair of loose sweat pants on and threw a sweatshirt on over her tank top (she had taken her bra off long ago) to at least look decent for when the pizza man arrived. She left her dorm room and sat in the lobby of the dorm, waiting for the pizza man to arrive. Some late party-goers said hi to her and left. Some were returning, obviously drunk and looking to get laid. Linda ignored them after responding to their greeting. The loneliness made her think about Mr. Hastings, and how she felt earlier. The feeling his gaze gave her was...spontaneous. She bit her bottom lip as she remembered and shifted on the couch she was sitting on. She looked hopefully out of the door window to see if the pizza man had arrived yet. If he didn't hurry, she was going to lose herself in thought about Mr. Hastings: his eyes, his handsome face, even his frown was painted into her memory.

She watched as a man carrying a box walked up to the door and walked in. When he saw her, he seemed taken aback slightly, but held the pizza out nonetheless. Linda was quick to pay and return to her dorm and begin eating the pizza. She turned her laptop back on in hopes of watching some Netflix, but to her surprise she had an email notification. She opened it nervously.

**To: **Linda Downey  
**Subject: **Example Essays

Linda,  
Attached to this email are the essays I mentioned earlier. If you have any other questions, do ask. Best of luck.  
Essay 1  
Essay 2  
Essay 3

Leander Hastings

Her heart skipped a beat as she read her first name. Even typed by him, it had an effect. The next semester was definitely going to be difficult.

* * *

**Dunna dunna. I thought of this today in class, and I couldn't let the idea go. Sorry if Linda seems a tad OOC, I don't really have an idea as to what she was like when she was in her early 20's, and I doubt she was exactly like she is now.**

**On a side note, Sorcerer Heir comes out soon! More Leander and Linda moments, I'm hoping~**

**Also, I'm slowly incorporating the other characters here. D is D'Orsay (because he's a _dick_), Jessamaine is Jess, Gennie is Genevieve (don't know who that is? Read the rest of the books!), and Thomas is Jack's father. I didn't make them married or engaged because I feel like that's too soon. All in good time, all in good time.**


	2. A Feather Is Dropped

**Chapter 2? In only ONE day? I must be crazy. **

**Not crazy, just have lots of free time...lots...**

* * *

The next few days seemed to pass by fairly easily. Linda avoided Gennie for the first day, until Gennie left to go home. That left Linda alone on the campus with the others who had no where to go. Currently, she was sitting on a couch in her dorm, watching Netflix on her laptop, which was resting on her lap. She was also eating an orange she had grabbed from the lobby. Did I mention her pants were off?

Her phone vibrated, signaling a text message. She looked at it, and it was a message from Becka. She slid it open and read it fully.

**Becka: **_We'll be in tonight_

**Linda:** _Okay. You remember how to get to my dorm, right?_

**Becka:** _Yeah, don't worry_

Linda locked her phone and threw it back on her bed. She looked around her room, as it was rather dirty. Her clothes were dumped in a corner, and her shoes were everywhere. She looked at her laptop, then her room, and back to her laptop again. She let out a loud sigh and decided to clean up. Her pizza was in the mini fridge she had (which was much more expensive than needed) for future meals. All she had to do was run down to the lobby and use the microwave there. Sure, some people might ask for a slice, but all she had to do was shake her head no and they'd move on. Linda went around her room and straightened everything up. She decided to take the trash out, so she put on her favorite pajama bottoms, which were very fuzzy (it was winter), and headed downstairs. It was noon, and the air was cold. She had forgotten her shoes and carefully made her way to the trash. Once in the trashcan, she stepped outside and looked around for any signs of life. The student union building was a short walk away from the dorm, and it was usually bustling with life. However, as it was a break, everyone was gone. Well, most everyone. She wondered if she should go for a walk, but she didn't feel like going back upstairs only to come back down. Instead, she simply looked around a little more before turning and heading back into her dorm. Once inside, she turned her Netflix back on and continued watching her show.

That was when she remembered that she was sent essays. She really, _really, _wanted to watch Netflix. Though watching movies and TV shows wasn't going to raise her British Literature grade. She sighed and exited out of the tab and opened her email. She went to the email and opened it, clicking on the first link. The first one was extremely long, and written by a Nicodemus Snowbeard. She read the first paragraph and was already surprised by how much detail it went into. It was thousands of years better than anything she had ever written. The essay, however, was fifteen pages long. She decided that she would only read the first page before going to the next essay. She thought that, but she couldn't even finish the second paragraph before closing the thing down out of sheer fright that she was never going to be able to write in such a way. She opened the second essay next.

This essay was seven pages long, written by a Martin Hall. It was wasn't as amazing as the one written by Nicodemus, but it was still better than hers. His talked about old books that Linda had never even heard of before. She was impressed to say the least, and closed out of the paper after the fourth paragraph. She wasn't able to make it to the second page on any of them. She opened the third one, but all that came up was text that said "And now it's your turn to try. Be creative, Linda". It took her a moment, but she realized who it was that typed the message and looked down. Her cheeks started to burn up, and she had to ask herself what was wrong. _Why _was she so hung up on every little thing he did? He was a professor, it would be _illegal _to do anything. But of course, that didn't stop her from imagining.

It was simply a crush. It's normal for people to have crushes! Perhaps her mind hadn't registered how dangerous such a crush is though, and once it had she would stop acting so giddy whenever she thought about him. She was a student, _his _student, and she liked a teacher. Linda popped her hands over her mouth as she thought of it. _No no no, I can't like him, I can't! _She cried in her mind. _It's illegal and wrong. There's no way it's even reciprocated anyways! This is just a phase, _she thought frantically. She shook her head and decided that she actually did need that walk. She stood and put on a pair of sneakers before walking out of her dorm. She probably looked like a homeless kid, with her loose sweatshirt and over-sized sweatpants. She stepped onto the sidewalk and began her walk towards the union building. Her path changed though as she saw the buildings for the rest of her classes. Instead of continuing straight towards the original destination, she walked to the English and Literature building. She had two classes here, the rest were spread around the campus. She climbed the stairs to the entrance and walked in.

Voices could be heard from the rooms, more than likely the professors bitching about the meeting they had that day. Linda knew that there was a celebration for another semester well done, but the employees didn't have all that much fun. As she walked passed one door, she heard strange noises. It made her stop and listen more. It sounded like...moaning? Linda jumped away from the door, disgusted. _This _is what the professors did in their free time? She was _definitely _going to be careful when choosing her seats from now on. She shivered and continued walking to her British Literature class, though she hadn't realized she was until she actually arrived there. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized where she was. _What the hell? Why did I go here?! _she shouted to herself internally. She was going to turn back around when she caught sound of a conversation from the inside.

"You can't be doing this _again_. You'll be caught and thrown in jail, you _do _realize, right? And this time no one will be able to save you, like with Susannah," a voice she couldn't recognize said.

"This does not involve her!" she jumped at the sound of Mr. Hastings yelling. "You have no idea what you're talking about, and I do not care to explain it to you for the hundredth time. Now get out of my classroom before I have you removed."

"Lee, I'm only trying to help you here. You're getting yourself into more trouble, and I doubt it'll turn out any better than last time," Linda managed to recognize that the voice was feminine. The conversation seemed over though, as Linda could suddenly hear footsteps approaching. Freaking out, she ran to the door that led you to the stairs in order to hide. She pressed her face against the glass to see who Mr. Hastings had been talking to, the curiosity being too much for her to handle. Within seconds, a tall girl with dark hair similar to Mr. Hastings came out in a ruffled blouse and black pants. She looked both ways before walking the way that Linda had come in. Linda waited a few minutes before slowly opening the door and stepping back out into the hallway.

Maybe she shouldn't have come here, she realized. She began walking to the entrance in order to leave, though as she was walking past the classroom door she noticed a tall figure was leaving also. They ended up bumping into each other, though neither fell. The only thing that did fall was a small stack of papers that the figure had been carrying.

"Linda?" he muttered, surprised. His gaze caught hers and they were stuck again, frozen into their own world. Just a simple stare, and Linda was completely undone. She gulped when he said her name in a different tone, one that didn't sound unhappy to see her. It sounded more like shock, or at least she thought so. Her hand was reached out slightly as though she were trying to catch the papers, but they all slid through her hand regardless. Linda Downey was a virgin, a proud one at that, but the feeling she got just from _looking _at Mr. Hastings was what she imagined sex to feel like. She wanted him, _dear __lord_, she wanted him bad. Mr. Hastings blinked, breaking their link suddenly. Linda suddenly felt empty inside, though she simply recomposed herself. "Is there something you had a question about?" he asked and looked down at his papers, which were sprawled all over the floor.

_Dammit...I don't even know why I'm here! _she was shouting in her mind. "Uhm, no, I just wanted to, uh, thank you for sending me those essays," she said quickly. She bent down to pick up the papers quickly, as did he. She scooped up as many as she could before he began picking up his pile.

"Your welcome, then. Have you read through them?" he asked, still keeping his eyes on the papers that were now in his hands. Something in his voice sounded strange, though she couldn't place what it was.

"Well, they're a bit too long for me to read through them all, and I haven't read most of the books mentioned," she responded. It was starting to become simpler to talk, at least.

"Too long?" he said with humor in his voice. Linda dared to look up and saw a simple smile on his face as he looked at her. Now, _that_ was too much. Her face suddenly became red, and she looked down hoping he wouldn't see it. She had never blushed so much in her entire life than she had in the past week. She pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and stood up. Mr. Hastings stood up also and held his hand out for the stack in her hand, which she happily passed over._  
_

"I'll see you next semester, then," she mumbled and turned to leave. Again, he was walking right behind her. Once she could hear the _room _again, she wondered how he would react to it. She glanced over her shoulder to see that he had stopped and was looking towards the door, seeming to be in deep thought. Before she could react, he put the papers he was carrying down and put an arm around her shoulder, dragging her to his side as he swung open the door, which revealed her English teacher and a girl she couldn't recognize in the middle of _it_.

"And this is the- Oh, Mr. Wylie, certainly didn't see you there. And hello, Ms. Longbranch. I see you're learning a bit more than English this break," Mr. Hastings greeted simply. Linda's eyes widened when she realized that the girl was in fact Jessamine, the Senior that was constantly causing problems for Gennie.

"Hastings? What the hell are you doing here?!" Mr. Wylie yelled, quickly pulling his pants up from around his ankles. He completely ignored the naked student that was sitting on the desk. Mr. Hastings sent an innocent smile to Mr. Wylie before turning towards Linda and patting her shoulder.

"I was showing this student here around. Who would have guessed that you've been breaking the rule of no sleeping with the students. I won't tell, of course my silence comes with a price," he added finally. His frown returned when Mr. Wylie's gaze became stuck on Linda.

"And who is that student there?" Mr. Wylie asked, causing a 'ugh' to leave Jess's mouth. Jess was obviously about to be dumped for Linda.

"That's unimportant," Hastings muttered and waved for Wylie's attention to return to him, "I think we can work out the debt you now owe me for me to keep this secret. Well then, Wylie, I'll be finishing the tour here." Mr. Hastings pulled Linda out of the room with him. With his arm still around her shoulders, he remained still. Linda didn't push him away, as she was probably enjoying the contact too much.

She shut her eyes and leaned her head against his side, which caused his breathing to hitch in his throat. Slowly, Linda felt his hand skim down her side and rest comfortable on her hip, and Mr. Hastings let out a deep breath.

A feather had been dropped above the wall that separated them.

* * *

**I wonder if I used Wylie in the first chapter? Woah! I forgot the chapter titles! Let me fix that!**

**Mkay I'm back. I wonder if Hastings was OOC with the whole bust-in...I was trying to get across his "will twist situations around so he gets something from it" side.**

**Ah well, hope you enjoyed~**


	3. A Feather is a Feather

**I hadn't realized people wanted more of this and had resorted to typing most of it out on my phone. Well, here's some of it, I'll edit the second part and post it up tomorrow. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

They're embrace was cut short when an angry Jess could be heard making her way to the door. Mr. Hastings was quick to react to it all, as he grabbed his stack of papers with one hand and Linda's hand with the other. They both ran out of the building with their fingers entwined together. It seemed to have gotten colder since Linda had entered the building, and she remembered that there was a chance of snow that day. Hopefully it wouldn't snow until after Becka and Thomas arrived.

Mr. Hastings was looking from one direction to the next, unsure of where to run. Linda decided to choose, as she squeezed his hand and pulled him towards the dorm building. Mr. Hastings followed behind her, though he didn't seem to know where they were headed until the dorm building came into view.

"Linda, I don't think..." His voice died out slowly and he tightened his grip on her hand instead. He was going to have the situation under control.

"It's fine," Linda said without looking back, "Mostly everyone is gone, and Jess was going back to the dorms anyways. She would have seen us otherwise." The two ran into the dorm building and went up the stairs together. Linda's dorm was on the third floor, so it was a quick run to get there. Once there, she opened her door and walked in. She was glad that she decided to clean up for once. Her fingers were still weaved with his, and she suddenly realized what she had done. She had shamelessly brought him to her room, with nearly no in the dorms at all. Oh, the messages he must be getting from her actions.

It was a surprise to him to suddenly be brought into her dorm room. It was as if she had brought him to her house. He unconsciously scanned the room over, taking note of the seemingly clean look to it. The bed wasn't made and the clothes were in a sloppy pile, but otherwise it seemed nice. He did notice a pair of underwear sitting atop the pile, but he decided that he wasn't going to point it out. Instead, he forced himself to slide his hand out of her warm grasp.

"Wha-"

"Oh will you shut up! We were caught for goodness sakes!" A loud voice, Jess' Linda recognized, shouted just outside the door.

"Why are you mad? It's not like you were doing this because you wanted to, you just wanted to raise your grade!" Mr. Wylie's voice shouted back. Their sudden argument had cut Linda off, and she was glad it did. If this, er, "couple" hadn't interrupted her, regrettable words were going to leave her mouth.

"I'm angry because now another professor knows, and that damned Linda!" Jess practically screamed.

"Linda? Was that the girl's name?" Mr. Wylie asked suddenly. There was a disgusted sound, then a slap sounded. After, a door was slammed. Linda had a wave of fear wash over her now, the thought that Mr. Wylie now knew her name was unsettling. Mr. Hastings seemed to sense her uneasiness and took a seat on the single person couch.

"Well, I suppose I should wait here until Ms. Longbranch leaves," he said. Relief washed visibly over Linda that he wasn't going to leave her alone.

"Then, Mr. Hastings, would you like a drink or anything?" She asked. Even though she mentioned a second person in her sentence, she had started sliding her pants down. It wasn't until they were at her mid thigh that she realized that there was, in fact, another person in the room. She quickly slid her sweats back up and walked to get a slice of pizza as though is hadn't happened.

"I'm fine, thank you," he muttered distractedly. He had noticed! She screamed in her head. She slowly put tags pizza back in the fridge and stood up. She could play it off as though it hadn't happened.

"Would you like to watch a movie, then?" She asked and pulled her laptop from her bed and walked over to the chair. There wasn't anywhere for her to sit, except for the floor. When Mr. Hastings started moving so she could sit down, she said, "You're the guest, I'm fine." Her laptop was still on the essay screens, the third one to be particular. She hadn't added or deleted anything from it.

"What movie will we be watching then?" He asked and looked over the open email. He internally face palmed, he sent the email late at night when he was tired. It seemed stupid, now.

"I was just going to pick the first thing I haven't seen," she muttered and began scrolling through the suggested movie list. She realized that she needed to change categories, and immediately the horror movie list popped up. Her face paled as she stared at the movie her mouse was sitting on. Just reading the description, she already knew it would give her nightmares. But despite her words, she clicked on it. She let out a sigh and sat back, being sure not to lay against his legs.

"Horror? I didn't take you for that type of person," Mr. Hastings said and glanced at her. He took note that she didn't look particularly excited for the movie.

"I'm not, really," she muttered softly and watched the screen slowly introduce the lead actors and producer. It started simple enough, at least. It wasn't until she saw based on a true story appear on the screen did she take a deep breath.

Ten minutes went by, and Linda was managing herself fine. The scares had only made her jump so far, but not enough to embarrass herself. Unfortunately, she wasn't prepared for the next scare. She couldn't even muster enough breath to scream, as she hid her face behind Mr. Hastings's leg in utter terror. She was holding on tightly, maybe even hurting him, but she was beyond caring at the moment. She could still hear the aftermath of the scare in the movie, the sounds making her bury her face further behind his leg. Her heart was pounding, and it wasn't until she felt the leg she was using shift and the sound from the computer shut off did she turn around. They were back at the Netflix home screen.

"I should get going, I guess," he said and placed a hand on his thigh. She realized that he couldn't leave until she let go, so hesitantly she released her shield from her death hold and stood up herself. He stood up also and wiggled his leg a little. "Thank you, it was fun. Hopefully, next time, the movie won't be horror."

Linda blushed, next time rang in her head. She glanced at the clock and saw that four hours had gone by. Being 4 in the afternoon, she remembered her visitors who would be on their way to her dorm already. She had forgotten! "You have to go, now!" She urged him towards the door quickly. If Becka saw him there, she would never hear the end of it. He seemed surprised at her sudden pushing him out.

"Till next semester, then," he said over his shoulder as he left the dorm room. She hoped that he was smart enough to use the back exit so he wouldn't be seen exiting the student dorm. Once he closed the door, Linda slumped to the floor. Suddenly being alone didn't sound appealing.

"Wait!" she called out as she watched Mr. Hastings disappear through the stairs. He seemed to have heard her though, as by the time she was at the door he was still standing there, looking through the window. She opened the door and pressed her back against it as it shut. "Could you...can we stay here..just for a little bit longer?" She asked hesitantly.

He seemed surprised again. Scratching the back of his head, he shrugged and sat on the closest step. There wasn't much to talk about, and it was impossible to avoid his gaze. She could feel him staring at her, and it made her stomach twist and turn. She looked everywhere but him, already embarrassed with herself beyond belief. Here she was, stalling him from his break because she's scared. The silence wouldn't settle and it only felt awkward in the air.

"Linda," he called. Her eyes shot towards his immediately and became ensnared in the trap that came with them. She felt it again, the ache in her stomach. She looked over his face, his hardened jaw that had a light stubble over it, and his intense eyes that bore into her own. Others would probably say he was decent looking, but in her eyes he was more. She just couldn't describe it. Suddenly, he stood from the step and looked down at her from his full height. He towered over her, though something seemed strange. His eyes seemed clouded and his eyebrows were slightly scrunched, it looked like he was thinking something through. His eyes never left hers. She nearly began trembling from the strength of his gaze. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, as the electricity between them seemed to be affecting her. She wondered, hoped even, that he felt it too. That he at least felt something from it.

"...Yes?" she managed to ask breathlessly. The man sucked the breath from her lungs with just his stare. He was quiet for another moment, and finally sighed and shut his eyes.

"I have something I need to attend to, sorry," he said and moved away from her quickly and went down the stairs before she could stop him. The word stop formed on her mouth, though nothing came out. She watched him disappear around the corner, and then slam the door shut as he exited it. Seconds after the door clicked shut, she heard a loud bang, as though someone had punched the wall, before she returned to her room. She was shaking. Without even touching her, she was completely ruined. She sat on her couch and curled into a ball. She could faintly feel the warmth in the seat. This was beginning to become more than a crush.

* * *

**This is completely unedited, so sorry if there are countless errors. And a continuous repetition of some words. I had wrote this for myself to read, not really anyone else, but now I'm a tad lazy to fix it up.**


	4. A Feather Falls Slowly

****Would you look at that. It's been more than a day.****

* * *

An hour later, at five, Linda heard a knock at her door. She stood and walked to it absentmindedly, and when she opened it Becka and Thomas were standing there, snow cloaking their shoulders.

"Becka!" she greeted with a smile and stepped to the side to allow her visitors in. Once they put their luggage down she threw her arms around her sister and kissed Thomas on the cheek.

"Your dorm is as clean as ever," Becka added sarcastically with a smile. "I have to run to the bathroom real quick." Becka left, leaving Linda and Thomas alone.

"When did it start snowing?" she asked, wanting to get a conversation going. To be perfectly honest, she didn't know how she felt about Thomas. He and Becka had met while Becka was in law school. He seemed prestigious, but he treated Becka like an angel. She liked him in that regard at least, though she did notice times when he seemed to be rather controlling over her. But her sister wasn't a fool, she would wave off whatever command he gave her and continue on her own thing. Linda figured that the couple would work, but Thomas was definitely on the watch list.

"After about thirty minutes from when we left the airport and got our rented car, it started coming down soft. By the time we got here, I could barely see enough to park the car," Thomas said as he began to take off his coat and gloves. "Also, Linda, I wanted to discuss something with you when you have the time."

Linda glanced at him with that, but she would have to wait as Becka came back into the room. She too started to take off her coat and other things she kept to keep warm. "So, Linda, how has college been treating you?" Becka asked with a smile.

"Well, it's better than last year at least. I still have a single dorm, which is awfully lucky for me," she said simply and shrugged. College was simply college for her. She didn't struggle all that much with money, as Becka sent her checks every once in a while. Linda still worked like crazy though, she had two summer jobs and would be getting a job for the break also. During the school year she usually worked in a dry cleaners. The checks helped, but they weren't exactly paying for her textbooks.

"Have you met any guys?" Becka asked and winked at her sister. A thin blush went to her cheeks as she watched Becka sit down in the only couch in her dorm.

"No," she said quickly and looked away. She knew that her sister was about to call her a liar, so she decided to change the subject. "How has work been?"

"Hell," Thomas muttered in reply, "If you'll excuse me, I'm dying for a coffee at the moment."

"Work is fine. And Thomas, it's late, you shouldn't drink caffeine now. Speaking of which," Becka turned her attention back to Linda, "Are there any restaurants within walking distance around? We haven't eaten since we got on the plane."

Linda nodded, "There are a few. A pizza place and a sandwich shop. I had pizza the other night though, so are sandwiches okay?"

Becka nodded and Thomas shrugged. The couple started to put their warm clothes back on, and Linda decided she'd change out of her sweats and into something more appropriate. Grabbing some jeans and her winter coat, she left the room for the bathroom. She quickly changed and walked back into the hallway only to hear a small argument from inside of her room.

"Sandwiches? Really? You barely even eat sandwiches, Becka!" she heard Thomas say mildly.

"Why are you getting so mad over something as petty as sandwiches? You must not know how ridiculous you sound right now. Also, I do like sandwiches, just not the ones you make for me," Becka replied coolly, though her words were coated with anger. Linda put her back against the wall and listened in on the conversation. She hadn't heard them arguing before.

"And what of your little remark earlier? You do not tell me what I can drink and not drink, and you do not tell me when I can drink it," Thomas snapped back.

"I'm not going to sit here and argue with you because you're mad that dinner isn't going to be the way you want it," Becka spat. Linda heard footsteps approaching the door and quickly ran back into the bathroom. She walked back out when she heard her dorm door open. Becka's face light up when she saw her sister, and Linda was surprised at how calm she looked. Law school wasn't for nothing.

"Lets go then," Becka said happily as Thomas came to stand next to her. To Linda's surprise, the couple hooked arms and walked down the stairs together with Linda little ways behind them. She could hear their whispers, but not enough so to make them out into actual words. Judging by their neutral expressions, the conversation must not have been a good one. Once they were down the stairs, Linda stepped out in front of the couple and left the dorm building, leading the duo behind her to the sandwich shop. She was surprised to see the ground already covered in a sheet of snow, and it was still snowing. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked down the path she used tons of times. She was out of earshot of Becka and Thomas.

"Third wheel to an arguing couple," she muttered to herself. She decided to think about something to keep her mind off of the fact that she was the third wheel there. The first thought was of Mr. Hastings. And once she thought of him, nothing else was going to come to mind. She wondered what it was that he suddenly needed to do, though she realized it was probably was just an excuse to get away from her. Maybe she had come on too strong. _What are you talking about?!_ She shouted in her mind, _I wasn't coming on to him anyways!_

"Linda? Is everything alright?" Becka asked, suddenly behind her. Linda hadn't realized that she stopped walking.

"Oh, nothing. The shop is just across the street," she said and started her way into the empty roads. They were already partially iced over, and before she could turn to warn them, Becka had slipped. Sure enough, Thomas caught her swiftly and pulled her back to her feet.

"Thanks," she smiled at her boyfriend and pecked his cheek. Linda decided to continue forward as though she handy seen anything happen. The couple behind her must have gotten over their small argument, as they seemed awfully chummy now. Linda snuggled into the scarf around her neck until her mouth was no longer visible. The sandwich shop came into view, which she thanked God for, and she hurried inside of it. It was much warmer.

"Welcome!" a man called from behind the register. He smiled at Linda, a smile she easily deciphered as something that wasn't given to every customer. Linda nodded and smiled back, though she kept hers friendly. Becka and Thomas walked in moments after her.

"Smells wonderful," Becka commented and walked over to view the menu. Thomas was walking with her, an arm around her waist now. Linda simply ordered what she usually got, which the cashier was happy to get for her. When she paid and got the receipt, she noticed that the cashier had written his phone number on it. Linda acted like she didn't see it. Becka ordered her sandwich next, and then Thomas got a phone call.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said and walked into the bathroom. That left Linda and Becka alone, eating sandwiches.

"I saw the cashier give you his number," Becka smirked as she bit into her sandwich. Linda shook her head, but a small smile was on her face. "Come on, Linda. I don't think you've ever had a boyfriend! So many guys asked you out, and you actually went on dates with lots of them. Why didn't you ever go on second dates?"

"Just didn't feel right, I guess," Linda replied with a shrug. She sipped from her hot chocolate, hoping her sister would change the subject.

"What was the name of that one guy you went on three dates I think it was? Ron?" Becka asked absentmindedly.

"Ross," Linda corrected her automatically. Shaking her head, she changed the subject herself. "How are you and Thomas getting along?"

Becka looked down as color tinted her cheeks. "Great. We're going to hit the two year mark soon," she said and smiled, "Two years, and I'm still crazy about him."

Linda looked on at her sister with a mask of indifference. Inside though, she envied the feelings her sister had. She wanted someone who'd make her crazy. Someone she could wake up to in the morning, someone who would walk around with her in the mornings in their underwear.

But she had that chance. She had so many chances for such a thing. She couldn't even count the amount. They ended up wanting more than she was willing to give, and Ross had been the only one to question why. Ross Childers, the man who dreamed to be a cop.

Thomas walked back in and apologized before getting his own food. He took the seat next to Becka and they ate and chatted over nothing all that fancy. Thomas's phone had gone off again, but he simply declined the call. Becka asked if it was important, but he told her not to worry about it. They sat and talked after they finished their meals, and eventually Becka went to the bathroom herself. Once she was out of sight, Thomas turned towards Linda.

"Linda, this might seem sudden to you, but I'd like to marry Becka," he said simply. He pulled out a ring and opened the case for her to see, and she covered her mouth in surprise. It was a beautiful diamond, one that she knew her sister would absolutely fall in love with. "I didn't want to ask her without permission, and I understand that the situation with your parents is complicated. That's why I wanted to ask you before asking her," he explained. His eyes flickered to something behind her and stayed there for one long moment before returning to Linda.

Linda couldn't say no. Becka had literally just said she was crazy about him! She found herself having to choke her response out. "Okay," she muttered softly. She saw Thomas's face brighten, something she hadn't seen before. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all. Becka rejoined them afterwards, and Thomas seemed uneasy. Linda wondered when he would ask her, and hopefully it would be after they left. It was horribly selfish of her, but Linda didn't want to see her sister blast off into marriage when she was still a virgin.

"Shall we get going, then?" Linda asked and rose from her seat. The cashier looked at her as though expecting something, but she didn't even glance at him. Becka rose with Thomas, and she slid her arm back into his.

"To sleep now, I hope," Becka added. The couple followed behind Linda at a slower pace, but the snow was coming down harder now. The streets were completely covered, as were the sidewalks. The crunching of the snow beneath her feet relaxed Linda. She could see her breath whenever she breathed and her hands were stuffed in her pockets. As she was walking across the street, she noticed someone walking in the opposite direction she would be going. She quickly recognized who it was as the distance closed between them.

"Linda!" Ross Childers called excitedly and jogged over to her, "I haven't seen you in a long time."

"Ross, it's nice to see you," she replied kindly, though she was eyeing him carefully. Their breakup wasn't exactly peaceful. "How's the academy?"

"Great. Harder than I thought," he said and smiled. He looked over her figure which was wrapped tightly in a jacket and scarf. She pretended not to notice. "Still hanging on to that virginity?"

Her eyes narrowed immediately at the question. Becka and Thomas had just caught up, though they didn't hear the question. Becka looked over at Ross and smiled.

"Hello, are you and Linda friends?" Becka asked kindly.

"Something like that," he replied and returned her smile. Linda turned and continued walking back to her dorm. Once she arrived she changed her clothes quickly before sitting on her bed with her laptop open. Ten minutes later, Becka walked in with Thomas.

"What was that all about?" Becka asked with a sigh as she took her coat off. Thomas also removed his winter gear.

"Nothing," Linda replied without looking up from her laptop. She had decided to type part of that paper, though it was more on her instead of British Literature. She typed out her whole relationship with Ross in detail.

"Nothing, right," Becka muttered and rolled her eyes. She took a seat next to Linda on her bed. "I thought you were on break. What subject is this for?" She asked. Linda quickly pulled up clicked any button she could find in order to lower the email. Becka narrowed her eyes as the email disappeared from the screen. "Okay, then who'd you send it to?" She asked as she stared at the Email sent notification. Linda's face paled. She couldn't have...

"How long are you planning to stay?" She asked quickly, shutting the lid of her laptop. If she was going to deal with this, it wouldn't happen with her sister visiting. Becka eyed her younger sister suspiciously.

"We arrived not even four hours ago, and you already want us out?" Becka asked and sat on the edge of the bed. Thomas simply leaned against the wall on the other side of the room. He didn't look pleased at Linda's comment, as they had rented a car just to visit her before they went on a tour for British history, which Becka seemed to love.

"I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just wondering when," Linda asked again and sighed.

"Well, the tour is tomorrow. I guess we'll just stay at a hotel from then on," Becka replied with a voice void of emotion. Thomas snapped his gaze to her.

"A hotel? We aren't swimming in money, Becka. If we can stay for free somewhere, we have best take the offer," Thomas said mildly. Becka frowned at him, as if telling him to stand down.

"Obviously Linda has other things on her plate. We'll manage one night, Thomas," Becka replied when she noticed he wasn't catching onto her gaze.

"I don't want to have to take the bus to work because little miss princess here is on her period!" Thomas shouted.

"Thomas!" Becka shouted back, but he wasn't done yet.

"I don't care what you're going through, but Becka is your sister. We will not be staying at a hotel, we'll be staying here as we originally planned. If you didn't want us here, you could have declined months ago," he argued. His voice was directed at Linda now.

"Things happened within the past week, I couldn't just cancel after you planned everything out," Linda muttered, though her voice wasn't very threatening.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing right now? We didn't bring enough money for a hotel, and I'm damn sure not paying for a room," he went on. Becka was on her feet now and walking towards her boyfriend.

"Thomas, come with me," Becka said in her lawyer voice and grabbed his arm. She lead him out of the dorm room, though Linda could still here them argue from wherever they went. She didn't care though, as she was more worried about the email she had sent. Jumping quickly onto her bed and throwing her laptop open, she checked to see who got the email exactly. She nearly threw up when she saw it was sent to Leander Hastings.

She stared at the screen in shock for ten minutes. Within that email, she had sent the implicit details of her outings with Ross Childers. From the few kisses they shared to him nearly forcing her to have sex with him. She described him out to be a man whore. But worst of all, she included the reason why she was still a virgin. Not only would Mr. Hastings realize that she's still a virgin, but he'd also be extremely confused as to why he was sent such an email. She crossed her fingers that maybe he wouldn't read it.

To her disappointment, she did receive an email. Though it was from a different address, one that looked more personal, she could tell it belonged to Mr. Hastings.

To: Linda Downey

Subject: Email?

Linda,

I don't think you meant to send me such an email, and I apologize for reading it through before realizing what it was. Hopefully your fiancé is better than this Ross.

Leander Hastings

The email was simple. And what did he mean fiancé? The only time a ring had been presented to her was Thomas showing her the ring he planned to propose with. Linda briefly remembered that Thomas had stared at something behind her for a good moment. Had he been the something Thomas was looking at? That meant he had the wrong idea entirely. She was tempted to write an email back and explain the situation, though she found herself being unable to. He already knew more about her than the rest of the world did, and she had learned his first name just the other day. He'd get hints that she was trying her best to prevent. She couldn't help herself when she leaned into his embrace. This would be the start of her stopping her crush.

Shutting her laptop and quickly putting on pajamas, Linda opened her door to reveal Becka making out with Thomas. They didn't seem to hear the door open, so Linda quietly closed it. She pulled out the air mattress she kept for the rare visitors she had and blew it up. Her dorm room had space for two beds, even though only one rested in it. She laid the air mattress on the other side of the room before laying down in her own bed and falling asleep.

Linda woke up the next morning to shuffling in her room. When she cracked her eyes open, she saw Becka and Thomas moving around in new clothes. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?" She asked and looked out the window. It was still dark out.

"About five. We're going to get a head start on the drive there and hopefully check in early," Becka responded with a smile. "Sorry to wake you, go back to sleep."

"Excuse us," Thomas said. He seemed much more relaxed as he packed all of their belongings back into suitcases. They were going to spend the rest of the days at a hotel, then.

"Sorry," Linda murmured before falling back asleep on her bed. Six hours later, Linda woke up. The only signs of other people in her dorm room was the blow up mattress. She deflated it but didn't feel like putting it away just yet. Instead, she went down to the lobby in her pajama pants and tank top. It was cold in the lobby, thanks to the snow outside. The floor was cold to the touch, so Linda made sure to quickly grab an apple and run back upstairs. Suddenly, she got a text from Gennie.

Gennie: let's go clubbing tonight

Linda looked at the text with a small frown. There were still a couple days left in their break, four to be exact. The dorms were slowly starting fill back up, but there was still less than five people on each floor.

Linda: You're already back?

Gennie: Yeah. Clubbing or what?

Linda: Can't. I have work.

* * *

**And this isn't even all I've written just yet. I ended up not editing most of it, as I've read it through on my phone a couple times and for the most part didn't catch any large errors. Sorry for the late-ish update. The next one will take a while, as there isn't enough left for an entire chapter and I wasn't really feeling the new book. Sure, Linda and Hastings are living together in England, but I dunno. Just didn't really suggest anything beyond roommates. Nothing to excite my burning passion for their relationship (what a weird sentence to type).**


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